The Green Belt Movement Blog

The Green Belt Movement International Team are joining up with The Rainforest Foundation UK and dusting off their running shoes on 5th September to run 10km to raise money for our tree planting projects in Kenya... and we need your help!

Our ingredients for the super-team are:
Francesca de Gasparis
Sussan Rassoulie
Andrea Devine
Kathryn Stowell
and me, Hannah Smith

But there's one key ingredient missing...

We're aiming to raise £2000 and through your kind donations we may just be able to get there! Your money will help to empower communities across Kenya and worldwide to protect the environment and to promote good governance and cultures of peace.

You can donate online here, or click on our widget below. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to GBMI and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - we raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for GBMI.

So please dig deep and donate now!

Many thanks and best wishes,

The GBMI 10k Team

: )

This blog was written by guest blogger and intern in GBM’s US Office, Tara Daniel.

Last summer, GBM shared the story of two kindergarten teachers and the kind hearts of their students with the blog entry, “Big Trees Come From Small Seeds.” At that time, we were writing metaphorically about the power of Professor Maathai and the Green Belt Movement to inspire these small seeds, these young schoolchildren learning about peace. Now, we are honored to announce that the story is also literally true. As Jane Schumer, one-half of the amazing peace team at Daniel Warren School in Mamaroneck, New York, writes, “I am proud to tell you that the dream that Connie Levin and I had in building a Wangari Tree Nursery at our school is now a reality.”

The Wangari Tree Nursery has enriched the learning opportunities associated with the unit Jane Schumer and Connie Levin created with a focus on Professor Maathai and will also provide trees to the village of Mamaroneck. While reading about the planting of trees across Kenya, the two kindergarten classes began following a modified version of the Green Belt Movement’s tree-planting program. They grew native acorns under a growlight last fall and winter then planted the seedlings in the nursery this spring. When the trees grow larger, they will be planted in public spaces throughout the community. The mayor of Mamaroneck has welcomed their donation to the town.

Jane also writes, “Connie and I have continued to share Wangari's story with our classes this year. It continues to inspire both our students, their families and us!” Indeed, the Wangari Tree Nursery is part of a larger peace garden, an enduring testament to the school’s commitment to understanding and cultivating peace among, by, and for its students. While reading about the garden’s adornment by a peace mandala and the transplant of the kindergarteners’ carefully cultivated seedlings, I was struck by the beauty of the garden’s design. The peace garden encompasses various understandings of sustainability and peace that are also reflected in the Green Belt Movement. In addition to the nursery, the garden teaches students about growing food through demonstrating Native American traditions, allowing the students to cultivate their future salads, planting herbs from around the world, and signifying the importance of pollinators. Like GBM’s tree nurseries in Kenya, this garden helps teach respect for indigenous knowledge, the importance of food security, appreciation of cultural differences and distinctions between native and exotic plants, and admiration for the interconnectivity and functionality of ecosystems.

Whether in New York or Kenya, cultivated by kindergarteners embracing a new idea or women seeking a solution, this kind of peace—inextricably connected with learning, growing, and appreciating within nature—will always inspire. With more trees to be grown next year, Jane Schumer, Connie Levin, and their students have planted a legacy of peace with their small seeds, one that will be reflected in each sharing of the story and transplant of a seedling.

Often when Professor Maathai speaks people ask her to tell the hummingbird story. The hummingbird story reminds us all that however small we are, in the face of hard times, of huge problems we can still do something, we can still make our voices heard, we can still have an impact.

I spend a lot of time working on climate change issues at the UN and when the task in hand seems too big to ever win I think of this story and it inspires me to keep working.

Now you too can be inspired by the humming bird as the great people at Dirt! The Movie have filmed and beautifully animated Professor Maathai telling the story.

So take a watch and ask yourself, am I a hummingbird?

Today's blog is the final one from our guest blogger Teresa Cafaro who is interning at the GBM Europe office for three months.

Presented as the future of combustible energy, biofuels have been gaining a growing interest and enthusiasm over the past few years. This is due firstly to the oscillation of oil prices and secondly to concerns about climate changes. In fact biofuels are often described as an effective alternative to petroleum in order to avoid its disastrous effects for the environment and for human health. They are biodegradable, offer energy security and produce cleaner and lower emissions in comparison to classical fossil fuels. As a result an increasing number of investments have been made in this sector.

But is this so-called miracle an efficient green solution? Following the conclusions of a study conducted by the World Agroforesty Center World Agroforesty Center about Jatropha curcas, (Jatropha) a shrubby-tree used for the production of biodiesel, caution is needed. Jatropha, in the past few years, has been promoted in more than enthusiastic tones as the 'wonder crop'. In January 2009, Time Magazine described the Jatropha as the potentially next big biofuel as it has a crucial advantage in alleviating rural poverty: "unlike corn and other biofuel sources, the Jatropha doesn’t have to compete with food crops for arable land. Even in the worst of soils, it grows like weeds"

But what is the reality? The report Jatropha Reality Check has studied the suitability of Jatropha as a bioenergy crop, from both an economical and ecological point of view in Kenya. Through a survey literally conducted on the 'field', hundreds of small farmers have been interviewed about the yields of Jatropha. The study has shown a dramatically different reality to what has been enthusiastically claimed. Jatropha has low yields and uneconomical costs of production. What is more this crop needs a large amount of irrigation or rainfall and has a low performance in dry zones. Contrary to what has been stated, Jatropha is vulnerable to a significant number of pests and diseases. In the lights of these results, the report suggests that “Jatropha should not be promoted among smallholder farmers as a monoculture or intercropped plantation crop […] We recommend that all stakeholders re-evaluate their activities promoting Jatropha among smallholder farmers”.

Furthermore, the implementation of biofuel production may potentially have catastrophic consequences for local wildlife and indigenous communities, as demonstrated in the Dakatcha woodland forest in Malindi town, Kenya.

What can we learn from this experience? Biofuels have potential for the future of combustible energy but sometimes they have been promoted too easily without investigating the possible consequences. Taking into account that the majority of bioenergy crops are settled in developing countries, even more cautiousness is needed. Before investing in biofuel itself, promoters should devote financial resources towards researching the possible environmental impacts, effects on food production and the economic consequences for the interested region.

Today's blog is the second of a two-part special from our guest blogger Kelly Fish of the Nobel Women's Initiative.

From May 28 to June 5, the Nobel Women’s Initiative took a delegation - led by Nobel Laureates Wangari Maathai and Shirin Ebadi - to the first ever Review Conference of the International Criminal Court.

Africa & The International Criminal Court

Africa was at the forefront of all discussions during the ICC Review Conference. Currently, all country situations coming under the ICC are African: Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Sudan, and now Kenya. The first three countries were referred to the court by the governments themselves, while Sudan was referred by the United Nations Security Council. Kenya is the first case initiated by the ICC Prosecutor.

In the aftermath of some of the most horrific conflicts in Africa in the 1990s - including Rwanda and Liberia- Africans were at the center of advocacy efforts for an international court to try gross violations of humanitarian law. In fact, of the current 111 states that have ratified the Rome Statute, 30 are African. African civil society has been playing a huge role throughout the development of the ICC. Over 800 African civil society organizations are members of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, representing approximately one-third of the global membership.

And yet we hear the condemnation of the Sudanese government and lobbying efforts by the African Union to encourage member states to forfeit their commitments.

So how is the Court not for Africans?

As Wangari Maathai has said, "good African leaders have nothing to fear from the ICC." Impunity still rules across the continent, but the people want their leaders to be held accountable for the crimes perpetrated against them.

Kofi Annan, in his opening remarks to the ICC Review Conference said that the "absence of justice emboldens the perpetrators." Further, Africans want justice in their own courts, as well as internationally when needed. Anan reflected that he is proud of the African continent's contributions, as a region that played a large, progressive role in the formation of the court.

Annan’s conclusions are that the ICC attacks IMPUNITY, not Africa. Justice is a partner, not an impediment to peace. The future of international justice is in the Rome Statute. All to say that, "Africa wants this Court."

Wangari Maathai on Africa and the ICC:

Today's blog is the first of a two-part special from our guest blogger Kelly Fish of the Nobel Women's Initiative.

From May 28 to June 5, the Nobel Women’s Initiative led a delegation to the first ever Review Conference of the International Criminal Court. The delegation, led by Nobel Laureates Wangari Maathai and Shirin Ebadi, called for a global end to impunity and a strengthening of laws that punish perpetrators of crimes against women.

Currently, all of the cases of the ICC include investigations into the atrocious human rights violations that have been committed against women. National laws and regulations that protect women, such as the proper recording and documentation of rapes, must be implemented and enforced to compliment the ICC's work.

Gender Justice

On June 1, Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai was invited to participate in the Women’s Court, organized by Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice. The Women's Court was organized to identify the serious women's human rights abuses perpetrated during conflict and to call attention to the fact that these crimes are often not investigated of prosecuted as vigorously as other breaches of international humanitarian law.

Professor Maathai moderated the session presented by Ugandan women. She opened the session by reflecting on the experience of Kenya during the post-election violence and the trauma that we all carry with us: "all of us are here because we care about these issues."

We listened as three Ugandan women activists reflected on the situation of women in Northern Uganda and women's involvement in peace building activities. The women constructed a comprehensive picture of the situation of women on the ground: the challenges and security risks they face, their fight to be included in peace and justice processes, as well as their proposed solutions.

Finally, a Ugandan survivor of gender-based violence provided the Women's Court with her personal testimony. For the first time in front of an audience, this courageous woman shared her visibly painful story of abduction by the Lord's Resistance Army and forced marriage to an LRA fighter. A stunned audience listened on as she recounted her return from the bush with two children she had borne with the man who was forced upon her. She spoke of the isolation from her family and community and the enduring burden she now carries as not only a survivor of tremendous violence, but as a woman now living with HIV/AIDS. Her future was taken away from her, she says. She concluded saying she just doesn't know what will happen to her children, should she die.

Her story made the plight of the ICC tangible. Her experience speaks to the tremendous challenges that women face, not only in conflict, but in the pursuit of healing, reconciliation, and some form of justice. Indeed, we must understand that the ICC cannot be the total solution to each of these challenges, but it is vital that the Court recognize and attempt to further engage in the complexities of bringing such gross women's rights violations to the Court in order for women to see some form of justice for the great injustices they have and continue to endure. It also reinforces the needs for national mechanisms to complement the work of the court and the urgency of psychosocial care and support for communities emerging from such trauma.

The Ugandan panel was followed by panels for women from the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. When the Sudan panel took the table at the end of the day, it was impossible not to notice the presence of male Sudanese civil society activists. They volunteered to try to fill the space left by the Sudanese women unable to travel to the ICC Review Conference due to security concerns. Indeed, as three other activists boarded their plane in Khartoum en route to Kampala, they were removed from the plane and had their passports confiscated by the Sudanese authorities

We couldn't help but feel the loss of the true voices of Sudanese women in the ICC Review Conference - a gathering that directly impacts their daily lives. It is yet another reminder of the tremendous obstructions Sudanese are facing in their everyday plight to advocate on behalf of women's human rights.

Wangari Maathai on Women and the International Criminal Court:

For the last two weeks the UN have again been meeting to discuss climate change at the UNFCCC in Bonn, Germany.
I was there to keep up with everything that is going on and try to make sure any decisions that got made, especially with regards to forests were the kind of decisions that we here at Green Belt Movement would consider good ones.

And forests were certainly one of the top talking points at this meeting.

If you are a regular on the GBM blog you will know that we often talk about REDD+(Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation), this was discussed this week at the talks and things are moving forward, especially after the Oslo meeting a couple of weeks ago.

However it was not in this section of the forest negotiations that we saw problems in the last two weeks.

REDD+ deals with forests in developing countries, which is obviously why we are engaged on this issue at Green Belt Movement. But in the UNFCCC there is also a section that deals with forests in developed countries. This section comes in the part of the negotiations where they talk about developed countries emission reductions (Kyoto Protocol) and is called LULUCF, that stands for Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry.

Over the last two weeks in Bonn they have been trying to set rules for how to count emission reductions by developed countries through these different things. However the rules as they stand have a rather large loophole in them.

A loophole by which countries could actually increase their emissions instead of reducing them. A loophole in which you could fit the emissions of Spain.

And rather importantly for us here, a loophole which could actually lead to increased logging!

Obviously working for GBM in the Europe office I don’t think this is on, and so in Bonn we worked hard to get this loophole closed. Though we didn’t manage this, we have hopefully managed to stop the rule being set in stone and so the work to close the loophole goes on.

When I sit at these negotiations and listen to the way they talk about forests though it often makes me quite angry.

Because I know it’s important that we make sure we save forests to fight climate change. But forests are so much more than carbon stocks.

They are beautiful amazing places, full of biodiversity and life.

They provide livelihoods for millions of people around the world.

They have been homes for indigenous people for thousands of years.

They are the very essence of life on our planet.

And sometimes I just wish the negotiators in the UNFCCC rooms would think about that a bit more. Then maybe they wouldn't think putting rules in place that increase logging, and in doing so increase emissions, is such a good idea.

Last week I joined Wangari and the team in Oslo to attend the launch of the REDD+ Partnership Agreement. This new initiative for forests (2010-2012) came out of the Fast Start funding discussions also known as the Paris-Oslo process.

Wangari spoke alongside HRH Prince Charles, the host Prime Minister Jans Stoltenberg of Norway, and many other heads of state as well as Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. Two representatives from the Congo Basin region- DRC President Denis Sassou Nguesso and Gabon President Ali Bongo gave their contributions. Prime Minister Raila Odinga of Kenya also spoke in the opening plenary. The presence of so many high level political leaders as well as NGO leaders and others (over 500 attended) gave an indication of how big the issue of REDD has become in a few short years. And just how high the stakes are getting....

From the NGO world this level of interest and government commitment has had a mixed response. Governments like Norway and the UK, France and other donor countries are being commended for putting the money up for “early day” actions to reduce deforestation ahead of the UN climate change talks process. The other big announcement of the event was the $1 Billion from Norway to Indonesia to stop deforestation in the next two years. This bilateral agreement between a donor government and recipient to reduce deforestation at that level of funding is remarkable.

However many forest NGOs and other experts are concerned about delivery issues and the lack of detail in the text that could mean that instead of protecting natural forests REDD could at worst accelerate deforestation and pay companies to plant plantations like palm oil. Furthermore the track record of big funding agreements have not always been good in terms of governance issues such as upholding rights of indigenous peoples.

There is a lot of fear that REDD could prove disastrous for forests if the process is not transparent and does not adhere to the UN climate change negotiations - where all governments are able to be present and contribute to decision making. A lot of the discussions are quite technical, including the issue of how we define a "forest". Trying to de-jargon the discussions is a big challenge- here John Vidal from the Guardian gives it a go.

Suffice to say it is early days in the new Partnership on REDD... however time is very short if we want to even attempt to reach the targets for deforestation recommended to stop global temperatures from rising over 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius.

The partnership agreement has relatively modest aims to start with- it hopes to build “capacity” in other words “enable” developing country governments and others to be able to gain future payments for their successes in reducing deforestation. Initially the partnership will fund the institutional processes that need to be put in place for this to happen. Later on, depending on each country's capability, payments for reducing deforestation would start.

Many questions on how this will truly be effective remain. However it is a start, commendable action from some key players when other governments have not so far been forthcoming with their financial commitments to climate change.

Below is our recording of our founder Professor Wangari Maathai’s speech at the plenary session. In summary Prof, as we like to call her, made reference to the issues of climate change skepticism and how this has grown since Copenhagen. As well as the urgent need to demonstrate commitment by governments to concrete actions now before the next climate change summit in Caucun in Mexico. The importance of the REDD+ initiative in addressing deforestation in Africa- the Congo basin region in particular, and the Mau forest of Kenya, that necessitate for capacity building for countries in the region. Prof also touched on the need to be careful to build an open and transparent process to ensure real results are delivered.

Today's blog comes to you from our guest blogger Teresa Cafaro who is interning at the GBM Europe office for three months.

Almost ten years ago, in the UN Headquarters in New York, 192 countries and 23 international organizations adopted the Millennium Development Goals Declaration. This was a landmark in the history of the international cooperation and reflected a global aspiration to provide an effective solution to the most important problems affecting developing countries. The MDGs involve aspects such as the eradication of extreme poverty, the improvement of universal primary education and the mitigation of some epidemic diseases. These goals should be achieved by 2015. This year draws ever nearer. The question rises quite spontaneously: With less than 5 years to 2015, are we on the track to meet the target? Is the world on its way to achieve the seventh MDG, the goal regarding environmental sustainability?

On 12th of February 2010, after an evaluation of the UN General Assembly, the current situation did not appear positive. It was reported that greenhouse gas emissions have constantly risen, increasing by 30% from 1990 to 2005. What is more, the loss of forests has not stopped and continues at an alarming rate. Because of deforestation, an area as vast as Bangladesh is lost every year. Furthermore, the target to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 will probably be missed.

However, some progress has been made. For example access to clean water in many countries has been ameliorated. For this reason the general situation has been described as a “mixed picture of shortfalls and successes”.

The next appointment is on 20-22 September 2010 for the UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals. As the planet is facing an enormous challenge, we hope that this high-level conference will convince the leaders of the world that more efforts are needed to avoid the non-accomplishment of the goals.

Last week, Ban Ki Moon – the Secretary General of the UN – appointed Christiana Figueres of Costa Rica as the new climate chief of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Ms Figueres will be replacing Yvo de Boer as the Executive Secretary.

Christiana Figueres has been lead negotiator for Costa Rica which aims to become carbon-neutral by 2021 - her track record shows the type of leadership desperately needed on the global stage. What’s more, her background with roles in government, business, civil society sectors, and bringing the perspective from a developing country should foster trust and allow her to push for an ambitious climate deal.

“I come to the secretariat with great respect for the institution and a deep commitment to (the) UNFCCC process," Figueres said in a statement issued by the UN. "There is no task that is more urgent, more compelling or more sacred than that of protecting the climate of our planet for our children and grandchildren.”

The Green Belt Movement continues to drive action forward on forests as we lead up to the 16th Conference of the Parties in Mexico this December. We welcome the appointment of Ms Figueres who will work towards reaching a worldwide legal agreement on controlling greenhouse gas emissions. Having a woman at the helm is certainly something to get excited about, and we will be watching eagerly as she takes her first steps on the road to Mexico…

Today's blog comes to you from our guest blogger Teresa Cafaro who is interning at the GBM Europe office for three months.

This remarkable video of the Kenyan Television NTV shows the concrete results of the efforts and the commitment of Professor Wangari Maathai in protecting and avoiding the deforestation of Karura Forest, which is a vital part of the city of Nairobi, in Kenya. “Situated on the edge of Nairobi, Karura Forest serves as the lung of the congested metropolis” (Wangari Maathai - Unbowed).

The fight to preserve this unique place begun in 1997, when the Green Belt Movement discovered that the public soil of Karura Forest was allotted to private companies. The project aimed to develop a compound of luxury buildings in the heart of the forest, which would led, as a result, to a consistent deforestation.

The battle to restore this place was long, risky and characterized dramatic events. During a peaceful demonstration, meant to plant some trees in the forest, GBM members were attacked with sticks and Wangari was seriously injured. But this episode did not discourage GBM and the people involved to give up their protest. Finally, in 1999, after two years of efforts and struggles, the developers decided not to continue with the construction of the buildings.

In 2010, after 13 years of restoration through threes plantations, Karura Forest is the amazing place you can see in these images.

“Today, that beautiful forest is still there, helping Nairobi breathe, and more trees are being planted to reseed what was lost and restore its biodiversity and beauty” (Wangari Maathai - Unbowed).

Enjoy the video!

This Earth Week, PACT is partnering with The Green Belt Movement to plant a forest. During this week, each pair of underwear will help to plant 20 trees. The goal is to plant 100,000 trees!

From April 16th until April 25th, PACT is showing its support of GBM’s mission by giving 100% of the sales proceeds from each “Green Belt” print garment purchased. This line was designed specifically for Green Belt by renowned African architect David Adjaye. The print, set against a jewel-toned green background, evokes the spirit of renewal and hope with yellow-stemmed fig leaves that echo the shape of Africa.

Visit the PACT website to learn more about this exciting partnership and to purchase your own GBM undergarments!

In December in Copenhagen world leaders were supposed to reach a global deal on climate change at the United Nations climate talks. Needless to say, they did not!

But here at Green Belt Movement we know that the fight to tackle climate change cannot be put on the back burner. In Kenya the effects of climate change are already being felt, the shrinking glaciers on Mount Kenya pay testament to this.

Last weekend in Bonn, Germany the UN body responsible for the climate change talks, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change or UNFCCC met for the first time since Copenhagen to work out how they can get back on track and work in 2010. I was there to see where we would be going over the next year leading up to Cancun for the 16th Climate change meeting or COP16

Copenhagen finished with an ‘accord’ that was not formally adopted by the UNFCCC-- this means there are no real commitments to either emissions reductions or finance for adaptation and also no deal on forests. So in 2010 there is still lots to do. At the UN all countries must agree on decisions, so it takes time and we are definitely not there yet!

In Bonn they did manage to agree how they would work together over the next year, however there was also lots of picking up the pieces from the backlash over what happened at the end of Copenhagen. Many countries felt left out of the process by which the accord was developed and they definitely aired their feelings. But at the end of the weekend they did reach agreement and they now know how they will move forward.

In 2010 expectations are not high of achieving a global deal on climate change, but expectations are high that many of the pieces of the jigsaw will begin to come together, with one of them being REDD.

REDD and the role forests will play in fighting climate change is why it’s so important for GBM that the UNFCCC process allows everyone to have a say. Forests are a hugely important piece of the climate jigsaw and they are overwhelmingly in developing countries. We must ensure that deals done on forests have the forests and the people who live there at their heart. We must make sure deals done to fight climate change have justice at the heart of them.

In Kenya we are already working on REDD with the government and other institutions, to ensure systems are in place so that funds will flow to protect forests effectively. We need to make sure these experiences and the lessons learnt are also heard at the UNFCCC.

Today's blog comes to you from our guest blogger Teresa Cafaro who is interning at the GBM Europe office for three months.

2010 was declared by the United Nations the "International Year of Biodiversity". The aim is to draw attention to the alarming rate at which an increasing amount of species on our planet are on the verge of extinction. The result of this process is not just a loss in the variety of species but it can also have important consequences for the future of human beings. In fact, human life is directly connected with the biological diversity presented on Earth.

The Green Belt Movement is actively committed to protecting the environment and biodiversity in particular. In a speech in 2005 in Paris, Wangari Maathai stated that: "The Green Belt Movement understands the need to protect and conserve biodiversity. That is why it encourages its members to concentrate on rehabilitating degraded forests and open lands with local indigenous trees and vegetation […]".

But what can every one of us do to avoid the loss of biodiversity?
The answer is simple. Think green when you eat, when you buy or when you travel: Where did this come from? What impact might my actions have on biodiversity?

And, most important of all, be informed... And, always, plant a tree!

Visit the official web site of the Year of Biodiversity of the United Nations

And have a look at this inspiring and involving video provided by UNEP


PS. This month only GBM is doing a special campaign on Global Giving.

We need 50 individuals to donate for it to be a success and keep our Global Giving page after April.

So no matter how small your donation will mean a lot to us! Please donate and plant a tree with GBM.

Now that those long dark winter nights are behind us and you’re toes are inching towards your summer sandals, why not think about flexing those thrifty fingers for a great cause?

As part of Global Giving’s April 2010 Project Challenge III we will be working our socks off at GBM to raise at least £1000 from at least 50 unique donors over the next month for a really inspiring project, and we’d love you all to get involved!

With the money that we raise will go to a community-based tree planting project in Mount Kenya to create sustainable livelihoods that support environmental and forests rehabilitation. The project will work 180 Green Belt Movement community groups to plant over 125,000 trees. With our Global Giving campaign we are hoping to pull together over £7500. So a lot of trees, a lot of people, and a lot of pennies!

We will have until Friday 30th April to show them just how much our supporters care, which should be doable with your help…! And …the project that raises the most funds will be awarded an extra £1000 towards their total, which is very exciting!

You can find out how we are doing by visiting our project page or compare GBM to the competition on the project challenge leaderboard

As Easter approaches please consider donating to GBM to plant a tree to celebrate spring and this time of renewal:


PS we can only collect Giftaid if you are in the UK but you can still donate from anywhere in the world.

Today around the world, individuals and nations will come together to celebrate World Water Day (WWD). WWD was officially declared by the UN General Assembly in 1992, and has been celebrated each year since on March 22nd. The goal of this year’s celebration is to raise awareness about water quality around the world and to highlight solutions to the world’s greatest water challenges.

Protecting essential water supplies is a challenge that many GBM communities face on a daily basis. A devastating three-year drought in Kenya, coupled with mass deforestation across the country, has left many families without the water they need to nourish themselves, as well as their crops and livestock.

GBM recognizes the direct connection between tree coverage and water supply. We understand that in order to begin solving the water crisis in Kenya, we must actively work to restore the forests and ecosystems that protect the nation's precious water sources. This is why GBM continues to focus our tree-planting on the five main water towers in Kenya - Mt. Kenya, Aberdares, Mau Complex, Mt. Elgon and Cherengani Hills – which provide 90% of Kenya’s population with water.

Additionally, our water harvesting programs educate GBM community members on how to stop erosion and how to capture run-off from roads and roofs. Through tree-planting, environmental education and advocacy campaigns, we are empowering communities to restore these deforested areas, as well as influence policies that will protect these water catchment lands for years to come.

In honor of WWD, we invite you to support GBM’s grassroots tree-planting efforts that will preserve the five main water towers in Kenya. Together, with each tree planted, we can help ensure a quality water supply in Kenyan communities for generations to come!

On this International Women's day in 2010 we would like to borrow a quote from elsewhere on our website. It is from our founder, Wangari Maathai, of course- speaking a few years ago about the women of the Green Belt Movement. Here is to those women and women all around the world for their unsung hard work, patience and persistence- Women are the bedrock of our society.

“I placed my faith in the rural women of Kenya from the very beginning, and they have been key to the success of the Green Belt Movement. Through this very hands-on method of growing and planting trees, women have seen that they have real choices about whether they are going to sustain and restore the environment or destroy it.

In the process of education that takes place when someone joins the Green Belt Movement, women have become aware that planting trees or fighting to save forests from being chopped down is part of a larger mission to create a society that respects democracy, decency, adherence to the rule of law, human rights, and the rights of women.

Women also take on leadership roles, running nurseries, working with foresters, planning and implementing community-based projects for water harvesting and food security.

All of these experiences contribute to their developing more confidence in themselves and more power over the direction of their lives.”

Anna and I celebrated International Women's day in the Europe office of GBM with a lovely maple and pecan slice. Hope you all find a way no matter how small to celebrate the women- mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers and friends- in your lives today.

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In honor of International Women's Day, support GBM's work and help us empower women in Kenya and around the world!

This blog was written by guest blogger and intern in GBM’s US Office, Alison Souders.

Inspired by Professor Wangari Maathai, April Waters has painted a beautiful portrait to honor her at an upcoming art show. Waters is a talented painter who gets inspiration from water and her passion for the environment. This is apparent in her breathtaking landscapes as well as in a unique exhibit titled “Sheros”, Contemporary Women Leaders for Peace and the Environment. This exhibit highlights six women leaders, including Prof. Maathai.

Waters had the opportunity to meet Prof. Maathai in Seattle and learn more about her and the Green Belt Movement, while also photographing her in order to render a larger-than-life size portrait of Prof. Maathai to be presented alongside the other portraits in the exhibit.

“Sheros”, Contemporary Women Leaders, will be on exhibit at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon between February 25th and May 14th. The second show will be held at the Jacobs Gallery in Eugene, Oregon from June 18th to July 12th. Plans are also in the making for fall shows in Portland, Oregon and the Washington, DC area. Waters hopes to bring many students through the shows to introduce the Green Belt Movement’s work to young men and women.

Upon completion of these shows, Waters will sell the portraits, of which a portion of the proceeds will go to the Green Belt Movement and other distinguished causes. She hopes for the paintings to end up in a museum or non-profit where the public may enjoy them and learn more about the causes of the incredible women she has painted.

Prof is on the road again! We are in India at the moment where we attended the 10th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit. The speakers and delegate’s list read like a UN gathering – heads of state and government, activities, scientists among others. The 3-day summit focused on reflections post-Copenhagen. The most common sentiment shared was that although COP15 was a disappointment, there is still room for optimism. Prof focused on the African perspective and refreshingly adding that there is need for compassion, empathy and values to foster efforts to protect the environment and human society at large.

The criticism of the IPCC was not ignored during the summit. Leaders from around the world and most notably the Indian Prime Minister recorded their unwavering support of the IPCC. The summit ended with a standing ovation in support of Dr. R.K Pachauri. The feeling in Delhi, despite the storm, was that the core findings of the IPCC remain undisputed. Perhaps the PM of Norway said it best when he stated that despite the criticism of the IPCC, it would be irresponsible of us not to act on the overwhelming evidence before us – “the polar ice is melting and the globe is warming”. It was a most impressive summit.

As we thanked some of the organizers (and there were hundreds of TERI staff involved!) and congratulated them for a successful summit, I asked a few of them how long it took them to pull this summit off… it was their 10th one after all...”it takes us a year to put it together” they seemed to almost say in unison. "We start planning again tomorrow." Well worth it!

Read Prof's speech from the Summit!

Legendary folk singer Pete Seeger is calling for support of GBM’s long-term partnership with the Lambi Fund of Haiti. He is asking individuals around the world who are interested in the rebuilding and sustainable development of Haitian communities to contribute to GBM’s Haiti Fund.

These funds will benefit our unique Global South partnership in which members of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya and grassroots leaders supported by the Lambi Fund of Haiti support each other with indigenous wisdom, peer exchanges, and join collaborations to reforest their countries. These efforts will have a lasting impact in the sustainable rebuilding of Haiti in the aftermath of the January 12th earthquake.

We are truly grateful for Pete Seeger’s support!



Be sure to check back on our website soon for updates on GBM’s partnership in Haiti!

Donations to support GBM’s partnership with the Lambi Fund of Haiti are accepted online and by mail. Please send an email to gbmius@greenbeltmovement.org to let us know that your gift is for the Haiti Fund.

Thank you!